Now there are reports of striking miners threatening to kill those who do show up for work.

It became the most violent confrontation between police and civilians since the end of apartheid and images of armed officers firing into the crowd played repeatedly in South Africa. The situation among the miners descended into chaos back on August 16, when 34 striking workers were killed by police at a platinum mine near Marikana, South Africa. РІР‚СљWe continue to play that role to ensure that the working class in South Africa does not become leaderless because those who are charged with such a responsibility have taken leave from discharging such responsibility.РІР‚Сњ When Amanpour pressed him on why was inserting himself into the strikes, he contended that he remains a leader of the ANC in spite of his expulsion. Particularly the workers who are working very hard in very risky conditions underground, trying to take out these precious minerals.РІР‚Сњ In an interview Tuesday, Malema told CNNРІР‚в„ўs Christiane Amanpour, РІР‚СљWe have now taken over the leadership of that struggle to make sure the mineral resources of this country benefit the people of this country. Malema is calling for a national strike in all of South Africa's mines, but his critics see him as a rabble rouser and opportunist, using the miners to increase his profile. He is a harsh critic of the Zuma government and the unrest has given him a window to step into the leadership void left by Zuma. He is now being investigated for corruption charges related to the misuse of party funds while he was in office. Malema was expelled from the ANC for fomenting division within the party. Julius Malema, a former leader of the youth wing of the African National Congress political party, has become the face of the crisis. With the government of Jacob Zuma largely silent on this issue, activists are calling for a national mining strike. Mounting anger at the perceived enrichment of a small elite at the expense of the majority РІР‚вЂњ especially the miners who extract South Africa's most precious minerals РІР‚вЂњ has exploded into a violent strike, now in its fifth week.

Eighteen years after apartheid, the hopes and dreams of the rainbow nation РІР‚вЂњ South Africa РІР‚вЂњ are coming apart at the seams.

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